Lagos — Niger State Director of Primary Health Care, Dr Mohammed Usman said 126 persons have died of measles in the state in the last three months.

Usman disclosed thisduring an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Minna.

He said the state governmentmoved swiftly to curb further loss of lives by providing free medical careto other sufferers.

He said the dead were among the 1,424 persons reported to havesuffered attacks from the disease, with the highest toll from Kontagora emirate. He said most the victims werechildren between one and threeyears.

"These are the most venerable groups as their immune system cannot provide adequate protection forthem, except those immunised.

Usman said although the health ministry was investigating the renewed outbreak of the disease, "the linkage between rejection of immunisationand the relapse of the disease could be a pointer.

"In Kontagora emirate, we have experienced rejection from parents during ourroutine immunisation, and nowwe have the reported highest mortality rate from there," he said.

He said the state government and the 25 councils had swung into action, leading to the sharp reduction of deaths from the disease.

Usman said that government was complemented by the Doctors Without Borders, who provided free medical care to victims in government health institutions.

He urged parents to take theirwards to the hospital for treatment any time they noticed symptoms of the disease, such asheadache, fever,and neck pain. He also urged parents whose children were up to nine months old, to immunise them against the disease.